Glazed and like roof structure of the lantern light or deck light type



Feb. 9, 1954 J FOX-WILLIAMS 2,668,509

GLAZED AND LIKE ROOF STRUCTURE OF THE LANTERN LIGHT OR DECK LIGHT TYPE Filed Jan. 21, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet l F/G.5. G I 7 H A H y 7 F/GG Q 7 H I a l H K r r H I I H I Q F/G./.

F/G.2 A a r C A r A A Inventor Attorney Feb; 9, 1954 g FOX-WILLIAMS 2,668,509

Filed Jan. 21, 1952 GLAZED AN LIKE ROOF STRUCTURE OF THE LANTERN LIGHT OR DECK LIGHT TYPE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A Home y Feb. 9, 1954 J. FOX-WILLIAMS 2,668,509

GLAZED AND LIKE ROOF STRUCTURE OF THE LANTERN LIGHT OR DECK LIGHT TYPE Filed Jan. 21, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor v T k g- \Jdlkxms Attorney Patented Feb. 9, 1954 OFFICE GLAZED AND LIKE ROOF STRUCTURE OF THE LANTERN LIGHT R DECK LIGHT TYPE Jack Fox-Williams, London, England, assignor to Williams '& Williams Limited, Chester, England, a company of Great Britain Application January 21, 1952, Serial No. 267,411

Claims priority, application Great Britain January 24, 1951 This invention relates to glazed or like roof structures of the decklight or lanternlight type having metallic frame structures, that is to say frame structures either of the kind comprising four hip members meeting at an apex or of the kind comprising a ridge member or bar from the ends of which extend downwardly or outwardly metallic hip members or bars, with or without metallic glazing bars extending between the ridge member (and if necessary the hip members) and eaves bars, and each constituting a support for the adjacent edge portions of pieces of glass or like sheet material the upper edge portions of which lie adjacent to and are overlapped by a part of the adjacent hip member or ridge bar according to the position in the structure.

Usually such roof structures, which for convenience will herein be referred to as decklight or lanternlight structures, include vertical side Walls which also include glass or like sheet material and carry the eaves bars, but the invention is applicable to structures of the kind referred to whether they include such vertical side walls or not.

Also for convenience herein it will be assumed that the sheet material supported by structures according to the invention is glass although it will beunderstood that where desired other suit- 7 able forms of sheet material may be used.

The object of the invention is to provide a form of decklight or lanternlight structure of the kind referred to which, while being simple to construct and assemble, will be rigid and strong, will provide for the exclusion of water in a convenient manner and tend to be draught-proof.

In a decklight or lanternlight structure of the kind referred to according to the present inven- I tion the hip members, and the ridge member when provided, each comprise a web portion from the lower edge of which project laterally two lower flanges the outer edges of which are upturned to form abutments on which can rest the edge portions of sheets of glass or like sheet material, while a pair of flanges (hereinafter called glass-covering flanges) project laterally from the web at a point in its vertical width so disposed that they will lie immediately over the edges of the pieces of glass supported by the abutments, and, at the junction of the hip members or at each junction of hip members and. a ridge 6 Claims. (Cl. 108-16) member, a metal cleat or connecting piece is provided comprising radiating channel section parts equal in number to the members to be connected and lying at appropriate angles to one another and with internal cross-sections each of which is slightly larger than the external cross-section of the lower flanges of one of the members which the cleat is to connect so that the lower flanges of the adjacent ends of the hip members or the hip members and ridge member to be connected can flt within their respective channel section parts of the cleat and be connected thereto by bolts or rivets passing through the channel section parts of the cleat and the lower flanges of the. hip members or the hip members and ridge member.

Preferably the upper face of the base of each channel section part of the cleat or of each cleat contains a recess extending over part of its width to receive plastic or other sealing material while leaving areas adjacent to its sides on which parts of the under surface of the lower flanges of the appropriate hip member or ridge member can rest, with or without further recesses between the sides of the channel section part and the outer edges of the lower flanges of the hip or ridge member to receive further plastic or other sealing material.

Preferably the web of each hip member or ridge member extends abovethe glass-covering flanges thereon and is provided along its upper edge with a further pair of laterally projecting flanges. Moreover where glazing bars are supported at their upper ends from a ridge member or hip member in structures according to the invention and are supported at their lower ends on suitable eaves bars or the equivalent, such glazing bars will conveniently have flanges on their lower edges and the upper ends of the glazing bars will be so shaped that the flanges on their lower edges can extend below and be secured to the flanges on the lower edges of the ridge member or hip member, while flanges intermediate in the vertical width of the glazing bars support the edges of the pieces of glass which may also be supported upon the flanges on the lower edge of the ridge member or hip member.

Two constructions according to the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 show respectively in front elevation and plan a form of decklight or lanternlight employing no ridge member, to which one form of the invention is applied,

Figure 3 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the apex of the frame of the roof structure of the decklight or lanternlight shown in Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line 4-4 of Fi ure 3,

Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a side elevation and a plan of an alternative form of decklight or lanternlight embodying a aidge member to which the invention is applied,

Figure '7 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the joint between the ridge member and the two hip members at one end of the "ro'of of the structure shown in Figures 5 and '6,

Figure 8 is a cross-section on the line 88 of Figure 7,

Figure 9 is a cross-section on the line 9-9 of Figure 7,

Figure 10 is a cross-section in a vertical plane through the ridge member of the structure shown in Figures 5 and 6 showing the arrangement of the glazing bars incorporated therein, and

Figure 11 is a cross-section through one of the glazing bars taken in a plane normal to its longitudinal axis. The glass panes in Figs. 4 and 9 are shown in dot anddash lines, and in Figs. 10 and 11 theglass panes are shown in full lines with cross-hatching.

In the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 the decklight or lanternlight comprises side walls A supporting a roof structure generally indicated at B the frame of which comprises four hip mem bers C united at the apexoi the roof and extending respectively to the corners of the structure. As shown in Figures 3 and 4 each hip member is constituted by a girder having a web '0 from the lower edge of which extend laterally two flanges C each provided with an upturned edge portion C forming *a channel and constituting a support for the edge portion of a piece of glass or similar sheet material D, a pair of laterally projecting flanges C which extend over the ma per edges of the pieces of glass D, and may have a further pair of laterally projecting flanges C projecting from opposite sides of'its upper edge. As shown the upturned edge portions are each provided with a groove to receive a length of resilient material E on which the glass 13 actually rests.

The upper ends of the four hip members C are united by a cleat F comprising four similar channel section parts F having an internal cross-sec tion slightly larger than the external cross=section of the parts C C on the lower edge of each hip member so that the parts C C on the lower edges of the upper ends of the hip members can engage the channel section parts F as shown most clearly in Figure 4. The upper face of each channel section par-t F is provided over the centre part of its width with a recess F in which is arranged suitable plastic sealing material as shown while recesses are preferably also formed in the sides of the channel F as shown at F to receive further plastic sealing material.

As shown in Figures -3 and 4 each hip mem her is secured to the associated channel section part F of the cleat F by bolts F passing through holes F in the channel section part of the cleat and the lower flanges C of the hip member, only one of the bolts F being shown for convenience.

The outer ends of the hip members w-iil rest upon the ends of eaves bars or similar members extending along the upper edges of the side walls of the structure in a generally known manner.

In the alternative construction shown in Figures 5 to 11 the decklight or lanternlight comprises the usual side walls and a roof part including a ridge member G united at each of its ends to two hip members H and intermediate gia'zi-ng bars I extending between the ridge member and the eaves bars as more 'fully described hereafter. :As shown in Figures 7, 8 and 10, the ridge member comprises '-a web G having a pair of oppositel'y flanges G at its lower edge the edges of which have upwardly extending parts G with their upper edges turned inwards and providedwith shallow grooves as shown at G, a pair oi" intermediate outwardly projecting flanges G at a point intermediate in the height of the web, and a pair of outwardl extending upper flanges G extending from the upper edge of the web. 'Sfinilarly, as shown in Figure 9, each hip member comprises a web H (from the lower edge of which extend a pair of oppositely projecting flanges H with upturned edges H having grooves H formed in their upper edges, a 'pair' of oppositely extending flanges H at a point inter-me diate in the height of the web, and a pair of upper oppositely extending flanges :H projecting from the upper edge of the web.

The ridge member G is connected 'ateachof its ends to the adjacent ends of the appropriate pair of hip members H by a cleats) comprising three radially extending channel section parts J J -3 the part J being formed as shown in Figure 8 to receive the adjacent end of the parts G "G of the ridge member G while the parts J and J are each formed as shown in Figure '9 to receive the adjacent end of the parts H of the appropriate -hip member As will be seen, the part J is provided in its upper face with a recess J for a plastic sealing compound while leaving side portions on which the edge portions of the flanges G can rest and is also provided 'at its sides with recesses J for further plastic sealing compound. Similarly each of the parts -5 J is provided on its upper face with a recess 'J to receive plastic sealing compound while leaving side portions on which the edges of the flanges H can rest, and its sides are provided with recesses J to receive further plastic sealing com pound.

Each end of the ridge member G and the appropriate hip members H are secured to their associated cleat J by pairs of bolts K passin through holes K respectively in the channel sec-- tion parts of the cleat and the flanges of the ridge and hip members, only two of the bolts K being shown for convenience.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the appropriate edge portions of the sheets of glass or like sheet material L to be supported by the ridge and hip members are supported by the upwardly projecting parts G and through the medium of lengths of flexible plastic or like material L with the extreme edges of the glass extending beneath the intermediate flanges G and H on the ridge and hip members.

The glazing bars are arranged as shown in.- .Figures 10 and 11.

Thus, each glazing bar I comprises a web M from the lower edge of which extend in opposite directions flanges M a pair of intermediate flanges M constituting abutments for the edge portions or the appropriate pieces of glass L, and a bead M extending along its upper edge and formed to provide grooves to receive the upper edges of resilient cover strips N which bear in a manner generally known per se on the upper faces of the edge portions of the glass L as shown in Figure 11. 7

The upper end portion of each glazing 'bar has a part of its web immediately above the flanges M cut away as shown at O in Figure so that the flanges M can extend beneath the flanges G2 of the'ridge member to which they are bolted by bolts as shown at P in Figure 10. The pieces of glass L which rest upon the flanges M of the glazing bars may also rest as shown on the up wardly extending parts G of the lower flanges G of the ridge member G with their extreme upper edges lying beneath the intermediate flanges G: of the ridge member, the web M of each glazing bar being also slotted as shown at O to accommodate the intermediate flanges G of the ridge member so that the upper end of each glazing bar extends beneath the appropriate upper flange G on the ridge member as shown in Figure 10.

As also shown in Figure 10 the lower ends of the glazing bars rest upon eaves bars Q which are supported on the side walls R and include an outwardly extending part Q to which the flanges M of the glazing bars are bolted by bolts Q and an upwardly and outwardly extending edge portion Q having a groove in its upper edge for receiving a length of plastic or resilient material Q on which the lower edge of the glass L bears, the glass being held in position by a series of clip devices S each of which embraces the edge of the glass and has a downwardly extending abutment S which bears on the inner face of the part Q of the eaves bar.

Where, as indicated in each of the examples above described, glazing bars extend from a hip member, C or H, to an eaves bar as indicated at T, each of such glazing bars would be of the form shown in Figure 11 and would be secured to its appropriate hip member or ridge member in a manner similar to that in which the glazing bars are secured to the ridge member in Figure 10, the only essential difference being that the glazing bar would lie at an angle to the length of the hip member instead of at right angles thereto and the end of the glazing bar would be appropriately shaped to allow for this.

Moreover the ridge member is preferably provided with drain holes, as indicated at U in Figure 10, at points in its length such that water which may tend to collect in the lower flanges G will drain into the channels formed by the flanges M of the glazing bars and thus be car.- ried away thereby into the channel formed by the eaves bars Q from appropriate points in which it can be discharged through apertures or drain pipes.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. A roof structure comprising eaves members, at least one supporting member lying above and spaced horizontally from the eaves members and having a web from the lower edge of which project laterally a pair of flanges having upturned edge portions, glazing bars extending between the supporting member and at least one of the eaves members and each consisting of a web from which project laterally flanges to form channels for water and. abutments, appropriate parts of the web being cut away so that the ends of the flanges constituting the channels may pass under the adjacent flange on the supporting member, members connecting said flanges on the supporting member to-said flanges on the glazing bars, sheet material extending between andresting' onthe into the channels formed by the saidflanges of the glazing bars and thence escape downgsaid channels. 1

2. A roof structure as claimed in claim 1 in which the upturned edge portions of the flanges of the supporting member or members have grooves cut in their upper surfaces and in said grooves are retained lengths of resilient sealing material through which the appropriate parts of the sheet material are supported.

3. A roof structure as claimed in claim l-, in which project laterally from the web of each glazing bar two pairs of flanges the one pair projecting from the lower edge of the web and having edge portions upturned to form channels and the other pair projecting from a point intermediate in the width of the web and having edge portions upturned to form abutments on which rest the sheet material, the two pairs of flanges being so spaced from each other that the flanges of the supporting member can lie between the lower flanges of each glazing bar and the sheet material supported by said abutments. I

4. A roof structure as claimed in claim 1 including a plurality of supporting members meeting at a point and a metal cleat connecting said supporting members, said cleat having arms equal in number to the number of supporting members and lying at the same angles to each other as the supporting members, and bolts or the equivalent passing through and connecting said cleat to said supporting members, the cleat being of channel section and having recesses formed in its inner surface said recesses being filled with plastic material so as to form a seal between the cleat and the supporting members.

5. A roof structure comprising eaves members, supporting members including a ridge member and two hip members radiating downwards at each end of the ridge member, each supporting member comprising a web from the lower edge of which project laterally a pair of flanges having upturned edge portions, glazing bars extending between the eaves members and the supporting members each consisting of a web from the lower edge of which project laterally flanges having edge portions upturned to form abutments and channels, appropriate parts of the web being cut away so that the ends of the flanges on the glazing bars may pass under the adjacent flange on the supporting members, members connecting said flanges on the supporting member to said flanges on the glazing bars, sheet material-extending between and resting on the flanges constituting abutments on the glazing bars and a drainage system including apertures in those parts of the upturned edge portions of the flanges of the supporting member which lie immediately over the flanges constituting channels of the glazing bars so that water which may collect in the space between the supporting member and the upturned edge of its flange will drain into the channels formed by the said flangesof the glazing bars and then escape down said channels.

6. A roof structure as claimed in claim 5, in

thel'level b; the sheet r'ri-aterial a 1-bead extends along the-upper end-of each glazingbar}; grooves are formeclinsaidjbead and resilient cover strips engage in said grooves pressing the sheet material r UNITED. STATES TPATENTS Number Name g f Date 2,014,925 Bradley Sept. 11, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS V I Number Country j I Date 236,476 Great Britain -4 of 1925. 510,449 Great Britain of 1937 

